Community Based program registration is open through December 31st. For questions about participation, please contact Doron Feller (doron@ctinventionconvention.org)
As an active member of the CT community since 1983, the Connecticut Invention Convention prides itself on building a network of passionate individuals and organizations that wish to inspire and create new educational opportunities for students across the state. By partnering with us, you become a critical part of our mission; to bring innovation and entrepreneurship education to as many students as possible in Connecticut.
Expand your Reach! Adopting CIC programming into your organization comes with many benefits. By partnering with us, you will receive:
A Step-by-Step Overview of CIC
Select staff and Register
Decide who will be the lead CIC contact person for your program. This person will register for the program and receive regular updates from us. Registration runs from September through December. Depending on how you want to implement CIC, you can involve any other educators, coordinators and staff as needed – many different people can play a role.
Decide population and schedule for the program
There are many different ways to successfully implement CIC. You can involve as many participants as you like, and can target one or multiple age groups. CIC has successfully been run in many different formats.
CIC is a flexible program that can be run during various times of the year. Keep in mind however that if your program is interested in sending students to our state events, these selected inventors will need to submit their projects to us by mid-March. Participation in state events in not required to run Invention Convention, and there are various means by which your participants can showcase their work.
Set budget and secure funding
While running an Invention Convention program is generally inexpensive, some funds are required. The average program will spend the following each year:
Plan for Professional Development for Program Staff
Hold a “Kick-Off Meeting” for your inventors
Get students excited and motivated to participate in the program. This is particularly important if you are running the Invention Convention program outside of a school setting. Keep parents informed and ask for their support. The CIC offers resources to help get your students excited about the program (videos, flyers, success stories).
Plan instruction time
Instruction typically takes 6-12 weeks depending on how often meetings are held. Plan enough time for your inventors to engage in invention skill building activities, plus create their own invention. Students can work on their inventions outside of school time as well. CIC Staff can help you build a program that fits your timeframe and needs. Once you are ready, begin the program!
Hold your own local Invention Convention
At the conclusion of your program, consider hosting your own Invention Convention event. This can be as big or small as you like. You can engage local businesses, civic organizations and other volunteers to come and judge the exhibits using CIC-provided judging materials. Invite families and other classes to come in and view the displays.
Optional - Select inventors to attend the CIC Semi-Finals Event
The number of inventors who can move on to the CIC State Semi-Finals from your school or program will be communicated to any interested programs in January, once we know how many students overall in the state are participating. Each school or program chooses the inventors they would like to move on to the Semi-Finals, and we provide you with detailed directions for parents to submit their inventor's project online.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.